Lambs

The unseasonal snow arrived at just the wrong time for hill farmer and their lambs. Round here and in most hill farms the rams go in with the ewes around Bonfire Night (November 5th) with the aim to get lambs on April 1st, which is of course this weekend. There's a bit of variation in these dates, but unlike the lowland flocks lambs don't tend to be born until the back end of March when we might get a patch of snow, but the worst of the winter weather should be over.
Of course Mother Nature has ways of messing up the best laid plans. Hill ewes are tough, and excellent mothers, but even they struggle in several feet of snow, and sub zero temperatures for days on end.

These were taken on our walk today, still plenty of snow up on the tops of the hills, and the thaw has been underway for several days. 

Most farmers have got their flocks in lower fields though, and with some extra feed they seem to be doing ok, even if the lambs regard the feeding troughs as a convenient place to have a rest!

Walking back down the valley we came across this, the water form the stream has frozen over the twigs, making a beautiful ice sculpture. 

This tree also caught my eye, the valleys round us have the feeling of being incredibly ancient. Not many people live here, so the ancient woodland still exists.